


Warmth in Winter

by cassie_star_12 (corvus_ace)



Series: ShuAke Week 2020 [4]
Category: Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal
Genre: Again, Chinese New Year, Day 4, Disaster Gays, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Fluff, Food Poisoning, M/M, Memories, Post-P5R, Shuake Week 2020, Vacation, Winter, anyone other than akechi and akira is there in name only, coffee dad for like half a second, hopefully this isn't as bad as I think it is, kinda angsty in spots i guess, lantern festival, lots of reflection, no beta we die like okumura, rated teen and up for swearing, seriously though these guys have it rough, some of it's fluff too though, these boys really just need a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corvus_ace/pseuds/cassie_star_12
Summary: ShuAke Week 2020 - Day 4 - Festival / Vacations / SeasonsAfter roughly a year of dating, Akira takes Goro to see the Chinese New Year lantern festival in Nagasaki. It brings back a lot of memories of last winter, when Goro was walking towards death a second time and Akira could only stand by. This time is different. This time, they are in control of their story.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: ShuAke Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016971
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	Warmth in Winter

**Author's Note:**

> have fun with this one :3

On February 10th, 2018, after almost eleven months of dating the man he loved, Akira sat up suddenly and said, “Hey, let’s go to the Nagasaki Lantern Festival this year.”

Goro, who was doing work at the dining room table, paused for a moment, then said “Okay.”

“Wait, really?”

“Sure, why not?” Goro said, shutting his laptop. “I’ve never been to Nagasaki, and certainly not for a festival. Let’s do it.”

Akira grinned in triumph.

★ ☆ ★

They spent the next week planning. The festival started on the sixteenth, but Futaba’s birthday was on the nineteenth, and they would never risk missing that. Luckily the festival would extend all the way to March 2nd. They decided to depart on February 20th and stay for a full week. Akira called Sojiro (who had legally adopted him after his own parents disowned him last year) and asked him to clear it with Shujin; Sojiro had mumbled something about “skipping school for a  _ boy _ ” but had also agreed to do it. Goro let his own college professors know that he’d be taking the week off. Morgana would be staying with Haru.

Goro and Akira would be driving, which was possibly not a great idea, but a train trip that long would be expensive and Akira was deathly afraid of planes, so car it was. It would be fifteen and a half hours, which was actually not the longest road trip they’d done before.

Akira insisted it would be fine. Goro probably disagreed, but never said anything one way or the other.

★ ☆ ★

Just as planned, they left on the morning of the 20th. Goro, who was (for some ungodly reason) a morning person, drove for a solid seven and a half hours before Akira made him pull over so they could switch. Akira then drove the remaining eight hours to the Dormy Inn Nagasaki, where they’d be staying for the week. They’d proceeded to go straight to bed, since both of them were completely exhausted.

And the next morning, the real adventure began.

★ ☆ ★

Goro had booked them a full-day tour of the Shinchi Chinatown for their first day in Nagasaki; the tour was incredibly interesting and gave the pair plenty to talk about when they returned home that evening. The lanterns were stunning, just as they’d expected. As they spent the hours near midnight talking about what they had seen, Goro had noticed a certain light in Akira’s eyes---a light that he hadn’t seen since the pair’s days as Phantom Thieves. It made Goro feel warm inside, and he smiled softly to himself as Akira continued to fill his days with warmth.

★ ☆ ★

_ \---As Joker demasked yet another Shadow, dagger already out, there was a certain light in his eyes---the light of excitement, the thrill of battle, the pride that came from yet another successful ambush. That light didn’t leave his eyes at the end of the battle; it stayed there, until they finally left Maruki’s Palace for the day. _

_ On their own, those eyes were a gorgeous molten silver; in the Metaverse, they became sharp steel, ready to cut through any obstacle in the way---and yet, still unbearably beautiful. _

_ If Crow had to pick one singular thing he loved the most about Joker, it would be those eyes.--- _

★ ☆ ★

It was a good thing Goro and Akira liked Chinese food so much; they had already tried seven different restaurants by the end of the second day. Each was very good, and Goro had taken photos of their food from each restaurant to post on his food blog when they returned to Tokyo. Even though he brushed it off as just a hobby, Akira knew it was important to him. Goro tended to get very excited when he found something he liked, especially if it photographed well. Akira privately thought it was cute.

★ ☆ ★

_ \---“Oh, is that a chess set?” Akechi said excitedly. “May I?” _

_ “Of course,” Akira said, sliding it across the counter. _

_ “Exquisite,” Akechi murmured, picking up one of the smooth wooden pieces and examining it. “Do you play, Kurusu-kun?” _

_ “I don’t know how.” _

_ “Well, have you played shogi before?” _

_ Akira smiled slightly. “I have.” _

_ “You’ll pick it up easily, then,” Akechi said, a small yet enthusiastic smile gracing his features. “How about a match with me?” _

_ “Sure thing,” Akira said as he set down the cup he had been drying. “I could never turn down my rival, after all.”--- _

★ ☆ ★

On the third day, Goro was sick.

Of the two of them, Goro had always had the weaker immune system; he tended to catch colds a bit more often than Akira did. This wasn’t a cold, though; it was food poisoning. Goro had eaten some suspicious street food the evening before, claiming it would be fine. Now he was curled in bed with muscle aches and a throbbing headache. He’d tried to stand twice and had fallen back onto the bed both times; he’d also said something about “seeing ghosts” that had indicated he was having hallucinations.

This was confirmed a few minutes later, when Goro mumbled an apology to the corner of the room.

Akira felt immensely guilty about this. It had been his idea to come to Nagasaki, after all, and now Goro was in pain, and Akira felt responsible, however indirectly. So he helped get Goro back under the blankets and pulled out his phone to start looking for solutions.

At some point during this, Goro had reached out and taken Akira’s hand in his own, and was now holding it as close to his heart as possible, whispering something to himself over and over.

After about ten minutes of searching the internet for possible at-home remedies, Akira sighed and said, “Try to rest. I’ll see if I can find a doctor for you.”

★ ☆ ★

The good news was that Akira found a doctor.

The bad news was that she said the only thing that could really be done was to maintain hydration and wait for the illness to run its course. Akira had looked stricken by that, but had thanked the doctor anyway and gone to find Goro a water bottle.

After the doctor was gone, Akira stayed by Goro’s side all day. Goro was very grateful for this, both because he loved Akira so very much and because Akira helped distract him from the ghost of his mother in the corner of the room. Akira was his rock, his other half, the one part of Goro’s life that had always remained constant. He was the light at the end of the tunnel and the first star in the sky.

Of course, in Goro’s eyes, Akira was the  _ only _ star in the sky, but he’d never admit that.

★ ☆ ★

_ \---“So you and I are the only ones aware of this new reality?” _

_ “It would appear so,” Goro said, keeping his voice flat. “Everyone else is just...accepting this is the truth. It’s disgusting, frankly. We have to find a way to fix this, Kurusu.” _

_ “Akira.” _

_ He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” _

_ “And you’re right,” Akira said from the other end of the line. “We do have to fix this. But we can’t just rush into it. We have to think this through, Akechi. I know you’re angry---” _

_ “Oh, I’m fucking furious.” _

_ “---yes, but shooting our way through every problem is just going to cause a lot more issues in the long run.” _

_ “It’s worked for me so far,” Goro said. _

_ “We are  _ not _ killing my therapist, Akechi, that is not on the table right now. Look, just---can you come by Leblanc so we can talk this out face-to-face?” _

_ “I’d prefer not to look a dead woman in the eyes, thank you. Shibuya diner in an hour.” _

_ “Okay. I’ll meet you there.”--- _

★ ☆ ★

The fourth day was much of the same. Goro barely got out of bed; Akira was with him for every moment. It would have been incredibly sweet if it hadn’t been induced by food poisoning.

★ ☆ ★

_ \---After a particularly rough trip to Mementos, Goro found he was bleeding. There was a shallow cut across his abdomen; shallow as it was, the wound was also fairly long, and Goro felt mildly dizzy from blood loss. _

_ They made it back to Leblanc in one piece, Goro leaning heavily on Akira the entire time. Akira had given him his own coat to cover up the blood from any passersby. Once they were in the safety of the café, Akira helped Goro into one of the booths, then briefly disappeared to get a first-aid kit. _

_ Upon returning, he set the first-aid kit on the table and said, “Shirt off. Now.” _

_ Goro, too tired and in too much pain to argue, obliged. He’d hoped Akira would never have to see his torso---it was covered in scars, both from the Metaverse and from reality---but if he wanted Akira’s help, Goro would have to step outside of his comfort zone a bit. _

_ As Akira tended to the wound, he said, “You’re ripped, dude. I’m impressed. You could snap me in half like a twig and I’d thank you for it.” _

_ “...I’m honored?” Goro said slowly. “I think?” _

_ “It’s a compliment, yes,” Akira said with a light laugh. “Now stay still while I wrap your abdomen.” _

_ Only after the wound was wrapped, and Akira had started making them coffee, did Goro realize: Akira hadn’t said a single thing about the scars.--- _

★ ☆ ★

The fifth day was better.

Goro could finally stand again without losing his balance; he also didn’t see his mother in the corner of the room anymore, which was a nice change. At Goro’s insistence, he and Akira walked over to the Doza Bridge and stood side by side at the edge, looking out over the water. Some of the lanters were reflected on the water’s surface.

“I’m so sorry,” Akira blurted out.

Goro, surprised, turned to him and said, “What for?”

“I’m the one who suggested we come here, and then you got sick,” Akira said. “I’m so sorry you’re in pain. I hope you know that I would take all your pain from you in an instant if I could. I’d bend the heavens and earth to my will if it could keep you from getting hurt.”

“That’s exactly what Maruki tried to do,” Goro said.

He winced immediately; it had come out sounding a lot sharper than intended.

“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t mean that.”

“I know,” Akira said softly, taking Goro’s right hand in his left and threading their fingers together. “Last winter was rough. For both of us.”

They looked out at the water in silence for a few more minutes.

“Winter used to be my favorite season,” Goro eventually said. “Not because I actually liked the cold or anything. I liked it because it was a reminder of my mission. Winter was cold, harsh, unforgiving. So was Shido. I convinced myself that if I could survive the winter, I could survive Shido.”

“And you did,” Akira said. “You did, Goro. You survived him. You survived everything life threw your way. You’re in control of your story now, my prince.”

Goro flushed a bit at that last part. “My story? Yes. My heart? Apparently not.”

Akira grinned. “My last heist as a Phantom Thief, of course. Is it working?”

“Oh, Akira,” Goro said, turning to look at him again. “My heart already belonged to you.”

★ ☆ ★

_ \---“Give it up, Crow,” Oracle said from within Necronomicon, which was hovering above them all. “You can’t win.” _

_ She was right; Goro  _ knew _ she was right, but.... _

_ “...in the end, I couldn’t be special,” he said, forcing himself to get up from the floor and onto his knees. “You’re all so much more powerful than me. Especially you, Joker...you have everything I never could. Friends who love you and support you. People you can trust. People who...value you....” _

_ “What’re you talking about, dude?” Skull said. “Course you’re special. You’ve got the same power our leader does, you know---bein’ able to wield multiple Personas n’ shit. And you’re crazy powerful, man.” _

_ “Oracle and I may not forgive you for what you did to our parents,” Noir said, “but listen to me, Crow. You have eight people right here who value you. You’ve made a lot of mistakes, but you can learn from them. You can grow as a person, and become someone worthy of greatness. That’s what it means to be human.” _

_ “Crow,” Joker said quietly, kneeling in front of him. “You are the most special person I have  _ ever _ met. You’re so incredibly strong. You’ve made it through every obstacle in your path. In some ways, you’re so much better than I could ever hope to be.” _

_ Goro’s breathing shallowed as Joker reached out and gently lifted his chin, forcing him to make eye contact. _

_ “We can defeat Shido together, you and I,” he whispered. “We can do anything. We’re like two sides of the same coin. You’ve felt it too, right? Our bond? We’re not enemies, Akechi. We’re rivals, aren’t we? Friends, even?” _

_ Morgana took a half-step forward. “You don’t really hate Joker, do you?” _

_ Goro hesitated, then said, “...no. I could never hate him. I wish I did. It would have made things so much easier.” _

_ “Well, well. I didn’t expect to find myself consorting with thieves.” _

_ The Thieves gasped in surprise; Goro turned to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun, held by Shido’s twisted cognition of himself.--- _

★ ☆ ★

On the sixth day, Goro woke up screaming.

Akira, who had already been awake, rushed over to him immediately and said, “Hey, Goro, what’s wrong? Talk to me. How can I help you?”

“Maruki,” Goro gasped. “His Palace. We lost against him. He wiped my true self out of existence. I---”

The moment Goro had said Maruki’s name, Akira had pulled him into a hug and started rubbing circles on his back. Goro, apparently unable to continue speaking, dissolved into choked sobs, gripping Akira as tightly as he could. Akira soothingly whispered meaningless words and phrases into Goro’s ear.

Once Goro’s sobs had mostly subsided, Akira murmured, “It’s okay, my love. The Metaverse stuff is behind us now. It’s all in the past. We won, we defeated Maruki. Your true self survived,  _ you _ survived, you’re here with me. We’re alive, and together, and that’s what matters.”

“Please don’t let go,” Goro mumbled.

“I won’t,” Akira promised.

They stayed like that for a while, sharing each other’s warmth. Akira silently swore to himself that as soon as they got back to Tokyo, he would treat Goro to his favorite pancake place, then take him to the jazz club, and then make him a nice cup of coffee at Leblanc.

Eventually Goro lifted his head from where he had buried it in Akira’s shoulder, made eye contact with him, and quietly said, “Thank you, Akira.”

“You know you don’t need to thank me,” Akira replied. “Are you feeling any better?”

Goro nodded. “I am. I think the food poisoning has run its course.”

“Goro. You know what’s not what I meant.”

He sighed and said, “I know. Sorry. I really am feeling better, though. I just...Maruki has been on my mind a lot lately. Him...and my mother.”

“She’d be proud of you,” Akira said. “You’ve grown so much, even just in the time I’ve known you. You’ve become incredibly mature, and responsible, and intelligent. You’ve become the kind of man that anybody would be lucky to have as a son. Don’t ever doubt that.”

Then, once he was sure he had Goro’s full attention, he smirked and added, “And you’re real good-looking, too, you know.”

Goro gave him a dry look, but his eyes were shining.

★ ☆ ★

_ \---“So you knew from the beginning?” _

_ “Like I said, I didn’t have proof,” Goro said. “But yes.” _

_ “When we restore the true reality, then---” _

_ “Yes.” _

_ They stared at each other in silence for a few moments. _

_ “I don’t want to let you die again,” Akira finally said. “Once was bad enough.” _

_ “I choose my fate,” Goro said. “No one else. Don’t try to change my mind.” _

_ “You’re walking to your death a second time, Goro! How am I supposed to just let you  _ do _ that without a second thought?” Akira burst out, eyes watering. “I don’t want to give you up, I don’t want to  _ lose _ you---” _

_ “Akira,” Goro said. _

_ “What?” _

_ “You’ll never lose me,” he said with a small, bitter smile. “Whatever happens tomorrow, I’ll be with you. But if you surrender to Maruki, the Akechi Goro of that reality will not be the true one.” _

_ Akira sighed. “I know. But...it’s so hard.” _

_ “Do you remember what I said in the engine room, back in Shido’s Palace?” _

_ “What part of it?” _

_ “That I could never hate you,” Goro said. “Never. Like you said, we’re two sides of the same coin. You’re my other half; you always have been. I love you, Akira. I have loved you for a long time now. And no matter what happens, I will always be watching over you.” _

_ “I still have your glove,” Akira said. _

_ Surprised, Goro replied, “You do?” _

_ “Of course. I’ve kept it all this time,” Akira said. “Listen, Goro---if, after we fight Maruki and restore the true reality, you’re somehow still alive---come find me. I will be waiting for you forever.” _

_ Goro smiled softly. _

_ “Very well,” he said. “You have my word.”--- _

★ ☆ ★

They spent the morning wandering the streets of the Chinatown, discussing all the different sights and debating about whether the round lanterns or the hexagonal lanterns looked better.

Then Goro suddenly said, “Let’s take a photo together.”

A very surprised Akira said, “I thought you didn’t like being in photos.”

“I don’t, normally,” Goro said. “But this is a special occasion. I want something to remember this by. And besides, I’m willing to make exceptions for you.”

“Okay,” Akira said, smiling.

It took them a few minutes to find a good angle, but they finally ended up with a good shot of them side by side in the center of the street, with the lanterns behind them. They took it on Akira’s phone; Akira felt his heart burst with warmth as he looked at it. Goro was smiling---a real smile, full of light and peace.

A smile that, as he had noticed over the past several months, only appeared around Akira.

★ ☆ ★

That night, after they’d eaten dinner, Akira said, “Hey, let’s go back out to the bridge. It was really pretty last night. I want to see it again.”

“It was quite pretty,” Goro agreed, following him back out of the hotel room.

The view was enchanting, just as it had been before; with the lanterns reflecting from the water’s surface, it was almost like the water held lanterns of its own, doubling the beauty of the night. Goro wasn’t surprised that Akira had wanted to see it again.

He  _ was _ surprised, though, when he turned to see Akira watching him nervously.

“Hey,” Akira said. “I, uh---the real reason I wanted to come back out here was to talk to you about something. It might make you a little uncomfortable, so I was kinda hoping this view might help you relax a little bit.”

“You’re worrying me, Akira,” Goro said. “What is it?”

“Well....” Akira took a deep breath, staring at the ground. Then he looked back up at Goro. “Do you remember what I said last year? About how I didn’t want to lose you?”

“Of course,” Goro said.

“That’s still true. I don’t want to lose you,” Akira said. “You’re smart, and funny, and gorgeous. You’re confident and determined. You never back down. You always stand up for the things and the people that you care about. You never stop fighting for true justice, even when it ends in sacrifice. You’re the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.”

Then he went down on one knee, and Goro felt his heart stop.

“I love you so damn much,” Akira said, pulling out a small box from his pocket. “You’re the light of my life and always have been. I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. Akechi Goro, will you marry me?”

Goro covered his mouth with his hands, unable to stop the tears coming from his eyes. At last he gave up on trying; instead, he slowly lowered his hands and released a choked “Yes.”

Akira’s eyes widened and he grinned; Goro grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him, hard.

“Yes,” he whispered against Akira’s lips. “I will spend the rest of my life with you. I love you. Yes, yes,  _ yes, _ I will marry you.”

They were only there for a short while, but standing together under the night sky, in each other’s arms, with the light of ten thousand lanterns around them, they knew they would remember this moment forever.

**Author's Note:**

> this one has given me the most trouble so far. Originally, none of these flashbacks were going to happen; I went back and added them later. I'm not sure how well this work turned out, but I don't hate it, so there's that. Let me know in the comments what you think!


End file.
